Collage Couture: Techniques for Creating Fashionable Art Paperback – June 5, 2011

There are two sections that I have frequently returned to:1. Proportions. The book recommends drawing measured lines, but I use graph paper. Either way, this section at the very beginning is super helpful.2. Day of the Dead Collage. I ended up making a Day of the Dead collage using this section, as well as a skeleton sticker and a large spider sticker left over from Halloween. This is not exactly what I had in mind when I purchased the book, but it provided hours of challenging entertainment!

The media could not be loaded. I own tons of art and craft books, most of them bought second hand or at different bookstores. This was the first actual paper art book that I bought through Amazon. The first thing that appealed to me was the idea itself was so different from other collage books. I'm not really a fan of messy collage books that don't seem like they have a goal-- this one definitely does. It is really appealing to dress up simple female figures in fashionable clothing made from scrapbooking paper.The book is very well put together with lots of eye candy designs on each page. The artist introduces you to this fab idea and it starts out with the simple basics: drawing proportionate figures and simple clothing design shapes. A lot of the materials used are things that you probably already have on hand if you are a paper artist, scrapbooker, mixed media artist etc. This book actually helps me be environmentally friendly by giving me ideas of what I can do with left over paper from my rubber stamping.Meanwhile a lot of personality in this book comes from the artist, you can still take this same idea and put your own spin on it. I must admit some of the designs were a bit too much for me and I tend to lean towards using 2-3 colors on all of my layouts for cards I make. This just is my own preference really, but if you love to mix polka dots, leopard print and stripes, just go for it. With this book, there is honestly no right or wrong way to make these creations which is a good thing. You don't have to be a very advanced artist to get really nice results. The only thing I wish the artist would've mentioned is how to dress male figures, because it could've been nice to make a wedding couple collage. Although I suppose that is something I could figure out how to do on my own. I recommend this for everyone who loves to have some fun with art.

At first glance, I was not impressed by this book. Then, a day or two later, I went back and took another look at it.That's when I realized that it was both useful and inspiring for my work as a mixed-media artist.Some of the illustrations are more "cute" than I'd like. The aesthetic isn't a good match for me, either.That's okay. There is enough useful, practical information and plenty of suggestions to make this a solid four-star book that I'll keep in my studio as a reference.I recommend it for anyone planning to design paper dolls, or mixed-media art that includes figures you'll craft or collage yourself.

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. I highly recommend it to everyone who enjoys playing with paper. This book along with the author's wonderful Mixed Media Doll Stamps have persuaded me to break into my massive stash of cardstock and actually cut it...lol. That is quite the accomplishment. But I was unable to help myself and I am so happy that I did, because I now have these beautiful dolls gracing my art studio.Seriously, this book gives wonderful instructions on how to draw a fashion doll, easy tips for dressing the doll, and a great reason for why a doll does not need to have a face. Also she teaches several different background techniques that will find their way onto your other papercraft projects like cards, layouts and banners. Do not hesitate to buy this book...it is well worth the price and is a book you will be glad to have in your library. Let's bring back the paper doll, and introduce them to the young people in our lives. Thanks to Julie Nutting for making it easy to create art we are proud to share!!!....and for giving us a way to connect with the young people in our lives!!!

Not only do I love collage, but I was the art director for a small chain of department stores and also worked as an illustrator for a fashion designer several years ago. Therefore, when I saw this title, I was intrigued. I was not disappointed. This book begins with a basic introduction to fashion illustration - figure proportions, features, and, clothing. Then, it moves to styling, by providing the reader with ideas to enhance the backgrounds and set the mood. Finally, it features 22 project ideas to apply everything introduced. The projects feature a wide variety of styles, including children's fashions, so there is something to suit everyone's taste. There are also different types of projects, such as canvas art, frames, paper dolls, assemblages, journals and more. What I like best, is that Ms. Nutting continuously encourages the reader to develop their own artistic style through the open ended projects which encourage creativity and originality. Hats off to Ms. Nutting!

Looking through the pages you'll see beautiful artwork Julie has created. It reads as if she were right there with you, teaching you how to draw eyes, lips, faces, and bodies that are proportionate... And she makes it fun and not intimidating like some of "how to" art books can be. She starts out by writing "let's get out our pencils, papers and supplies, have a cup of tea, and learn how to create..." (that wasn't word for word but you get the idea). She shows you how she created 22 different artworks she did step by step, each using different techniques and mediums. This one project uses a shadow box and she shows you how to make this lovely moveable girl using card stock and small brads. She shares how to choose different patterned paper to make the "couture" outfits so they look great together. If you enjoy "searching inside" this book that Amazon has you will be able to replicate all of those projects.